- MSIT has begun transforming university education to be AI-centered and fostering AI convergence talent based on industry-academia cooperation.

- Next year, all 38 SW-centered universities will be fully transformed to AI-centered universities.

【Relevant National Task】 

22. Securing “unmatched” frontier technologies and talent in artificial intelligence (AI).

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister: Bae Kyung-hoon) held the “Joint Launch Ceremony for AI-centered Universities and AX Graduate Schools” at The Commons (Baekyang Nuri) at Yonsei University on September 29.

To bring about a sweeping shift to AI-centered university education and to foster advanced AI convergence talent with a focus on real-world applications through university-industry cooperation, MSIT has completed the selection of 18 universities for the AI-centered university program and 15 universities for the AX graduate school program, both newly introduced this year. The ceremony marked the official start of the two programs. The event was attended by about 90 key figures, including MSIT Second Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung; presidents of participating universities, such as Yonsei University President Yoon Dong-sup and Hallym University President Choi Yang-hee; Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) President Hong Jin-bae; and principal researchers and representatives of participating companies.

As AI fundamentally changes how knowledge is acquired and applied, and how work is done in R&D and industrial settings, the time has come for universities worldwide, as core institutions for talent development, to innovate in how they teach. In particular, as AI has gained the ability to analyze problems on its own and rapidly generate outputs at a human level, it is becoming important to move beyond conventional education centered on knowledge and coding, and instead build the ability to use AI to define problems, design solution processes, and verify and utilize the results.

Accordingly, university education in the AI era needs to shift toward strengthening AI utilization skills across the university community and redesigning the overall education system by integrating AI into each major. It is also important to cultivate both core AI talent who drive advances in AI technology and AI convergence talent who apply AI to various industries to solve tough challenges on the ground and lead innovation.

In response to these changes, MSIT has pursued a range of talent development policies, including nurturing advanced AI research talent through AI graduate schools, strengthening universities’ AI and SW education foundations through SW-centered universities, and cultivating practice-oriented AI and SW talent through programs such as the Innovation Academy and the AI·SW Maestro program. Starting this year, to expand these efforts into an AI transformation of university education as a whole and the development of advanced AI convergence talent linked to industrial settings, the ministry is launching new AI-centered university and AX graduate school programs.

<18 AI-centered Universities to Shift Their Education Systems to an AI-centered Model>

This year, 18 universities have been selected as AI-centered universities, including three new universities and 15 converting from SW-centered universities. Each university will receive 3 billion won annually for up to eight years. Participating universities will pursue a shift of their education systems to an AI-centered model by strengthening AI major education, making basic AI education mandatory for all students, and creating new AI convergence courses that integrate AI with students’ fields of study. MSIT also said it plans to push for the full conversion of the 38 SW-centered universities that have not yet converted into AI-centered universities next year, following evaluations.

<15 AX Graduate Schools and 26 Companies to Foster Field-oriented, Advanced AX Talent>

The AX graduate school program supports the development of AI convergence talent (AX talent) equipped with AI technology as well as industry and domain knowledge. Each of the 15 universities selected this year will receive 3 billion won annually for up to six years, and 26 companies leading Korea’s key industries, including Samsung Electronics, Hanwha Aerospace, POSCO Holdings, Doosan Robotics, and LIG D&A, are participating as joint R&D institutions. Universities and companies will jointly establish an “AX Research Cooperation Center” to pursue AX-specialized research, introduce a multiple-advisor system under which university faculty and adjunct faculty from companies co-supervise students, and run student-led, project-based learning. Based on such industry-academia cooperation, the program aims to foster field-oriented, advanced AX talent at the master’s and doctoral levels.

Meanwhile, MSIT is working to strengthen the AI education and research capabilities of universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area in support of balanced regional development and a region-led national AI transformation, both key national policy tasks. A large number of universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area are participating in the AI-centered universities and AX graduate schools selected this year, and they plan to expand regional AI education foundations and foster regional AI talent by linking up with region-specific industries. Of the 18 AI-centered universities, 11 (61%) are located outside the Seoul metropolitan area, as are 8 (53%) of the 15 AX graduate schools. To bolster the training of regional AI talent, MSIT plans to raise the share of universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area to 70% or more among those newly selected from 2027 onward.

To support strengthening not only AI education but also research capabilities at universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area, MSIT has selected such universities as lead institutions for all 20 new projects this year under the AI Star Fellowship, which supports early-career researchers (postdoctoral researchers or faculty members within seven years of their first appointment) in conducting creative and challenging AI research.

The new projects consist of ten “region-led industry-academia collaboration” projects, in which universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area take the lead and cooperate with companies, and ten “interdisciplinary source technology” projects, in which such universities take the lead and conduct joint research with other universities. Through these projects, MSIT plans to foster universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area as hubs not only for AI education but also for research and industry-academia collaboration, and to continue expanding the foundation for AI talent development in those regions. The AI Star Fellowship provides 2 billion won per project annually for up to six years.

After the official announcement of the launch of AI-centered universities and AX graduate schools, MSIT Second Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung congratulated the universities on the launch by presenting presidents of participating universities with plaques recognizing their selection as AI-centered universities and AX graduate schools. He also called on them to innovate university education around AI.

During the ceremony, Yonsei University President Yoon Dong-sup and Hallym University President Choi Yang-hee shared examples of changes taking place at universities under the theme of “Direction of University Education in the AI Era”. Yonsei University President Yoon said AI is a key driving force behind innovation across all academic fields and education, emphasizing the importance of education that enables students to go beyond using AI to identify and define valuable problems on their own and solve them in collaboration with industry. On the other hand, Hallym University President Choi suggested that instead of merely adding AI-related departments or courses, universities need to promote interdisciplinary integration, innovate curricula and teaching methods, adopt a more flexible academic structure, and strengthening cooperation with industry and local communities, ultimately transforming the university’s structure to adapt to the AI era.

Following the speeches, the presidents of the AI·SW-centered Universities Association and the AI Graduate Schools Association declared, on behalf of their associations, their commitment to joint cooperation between AI-centered universities and AI·AX graduate schools. By facilitating AI education exchanges from the undergraduate to master’s and doctoral levels and strengthening the cooperation framework between them, the two sides agreed to contribute to raising the overall level of national AI talent development. They will do so by institutionalizing regular exchanges among universities and graduate schools by region and by sharing leading models and best practices for AI education innovation.

Taking the opportunity of this joint launch ceremony, AI-centered universities and AX graduate schools plan to link AI education from the undergraduate to master’s and doctoral levels, and spread AI education innovation through cooperation among universities, across regions, and between industry and academia.

“Universities in the AI era should move beyond simply teaching AI and become an engine of innovation that transforms education in line with the AI era,” MSIT Second Vice Minister Ryu said, “We expect AI-centered universities and AX graduate schools to establish themselves as hubs for AI education innovation spanning universities and graduate schools, universities and industry, and metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas.” He also added, “The government will provide active support to ensure that AI education innovation led by universities can lead to innovation across Korea.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Please refer to the attached PDF.